Linux on System z

Linux Operating system working on system z (officially announced in May 17, 2000) has revolutionized both the mainframe business arena as well as open source business environment. This consolidation exploited the strength & reliability features of Mainframe hardware, while conserving the openness & stability of Linux. Additionally, Linux on system z is highly capable of optimizing an organization’s IT assets through virtualization, consolidation, integration and standardization of the infrastructure. Linux on system z allows enterprises to break the link between the operating system and specific hardware platforms. Notable Linux on System z distributions are Red Hat, Fedora, SuSE, CentOS, Debian, etc

The Mainframe industry has grown much overcoming the ailments in the early 1990’s. From the primitive interfaces and closed architecture, Mainframes have now undergone radical changes with respect to the market trends. Mainframe market is growing and attracting a larger user base by integrating current technological trends like SOA, cloud computing etc. With years of innovations and advancements, Mainframe operating systems are also contributing greatly to the unbelievable current Mainframe growth. Currently, with the release of z196 and z114, Mainframe customer base is eagerly expecting consolidation of Microsoft Windows on System z. Future looks promising as IBM continues their innovation on Mainframe systems and the operating systems with regard to market trends and customer expectations.